I Just
by Miwacchi
Summary: EthanxLyra So Lyra left for the adventure of her life... a year ago. Why is it after a year of solitude for Ethan, Lyra finally decides to show up? And how will he take it?


Hi guys. :) Sorry for the wait. I've been having a hard time, uh, with a friend… which was temporarily not acting like one. But all's resolved and I'm back on track. Love you guys! Yours truly, Peanutthatbutter.

P.S. I'm showing off some EthanxLyra today. :P I'm open to different shippings.

* * *

"Hey baby, what's up?"

I kept my steady speed and focused on the ground as I walked toward my home. The guy stalking me whistled playfully.

"Don't be so cold. I'm just tryin' to escort a pretty lady like you home."

I ignored his voice and continued in a faster pace, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other to reach the front door of my house. _Ten feet…nine feet…eight feet…_

"What, can't I at least can I get a smile or somethin'?"

I turned around and glared at him.

"Ethan! Shut up!" I said in an outburst. But afterwards, I couldn't help but just laugh. "You sound like a wanna-be playboy!" I said in-between laughter.

Ethan smiled mockingly, looking as if he were to be a host. "Well, it takes one to know one," he said as he took off his hat and combed his bangs upward with his fingers. How cunning, he knew that would make me laugh.

"Geezus! Can you just," I swiped his cap from his left hand, "stop?" I laughed again.

"Okay, okay. I surrender!" He grinned, a show of teeth that made me stop for a second and wonder…

"When did you get so hot?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

Ethan seemed surprised at my sudden question, asking, "Are you serious right now?"

I nodded. Ethan, in turn, blushed just the slightest.

"Ooh! Now this playboy's getting all flushed because of a compliment?" I teased. Ethan blushed some more.

"N—no! It just surprised me you were so interested in the opposite sex." I stifled a laugh. Ethan got the clue. "Ha-ha. That's _so_ funny. Sex. Ha-ha. Again."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm so experienced like that, Ethan." I rolled my eyes. "You know I've done zip with boys. Well, except for you, that is. You're an exception." I smiled at him, my kind, joking childhood friend.

"An exception?" he asked, eyes looking into mine with something I wasn't used to. I immediately looked away.

"Yeah, I mean, come on, we've been friends since, what, we were in our mothers' wombs?" _Wow, way too many words in that sentence_. I nudged him. "I'll be going inside now, though. Need to greet my mom before I leave to do whatever."

Ethan looked interested. "Where doing what?

"I don't know… just, exploring, I guess?" I sighed. "I was planning on beating the Pokemon League on my first try, but… yeah." Another deep sigh. Ethan seemed to get the gist of what I was saying.

"So you'll need to go train some more, restock on potions, and fight them again."

"Yup. Ain't that great!" I exclaimed with mock enthusiasm. "I just lost on the third leader. Just—"

"Great!" Ethan said happily. "I'll be honored to help train your Pokemon."

"Pshh, people would think I'm crazy with a wanna-be host escorting me. Thanks, Ethan, but no thanks." I patted his back. "Next time, though. I'll be glad to have you by my side." Our eyes connected.

"I've always been by your side," he whispered. All those times we attended pre-school together, went over to each other's houses for playdates, had each other's backs when times went rough… It was just me and Ethan, all the way. In the long run I viewed him as an appreciative, guiding, understanding friend—_best _friend.

"I know," I replied. I gave one last pat to his back before I stepped up onto my house's doormat. "Welcome" was what it said to me. As I turned the knob I heard Ethan say something to me.

"I'll be waiting at my house for your goodbye."

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!"

My mom was faced towards a wall, looking at nothing as she sat down on a chair and leaned against the only table in our house (excluding the desk upstairs in my room). She turned to me with a smile, looking almost stunned that I had called her "Mom." Really, these days she's getting more and more forgetful. I sat down in the chair opposite to her.

"Hi! Welcome home! You're doing fine, I see."

"It's not like I'm going to get mauled by a Pidgy, Mom, sheesh. Have some faith, will you?"

"I've kept your room tidy and clean. Or…"

"Oh, Mom… not this agai—"

"Is this about your money?" she asked bluntly. I knocked my head on the table a couple of times.

"Can't," _slam_, "we just," _slam_, "have," _slam_, "a normal," _slam_, "conversation?" Going at her own pace, she ignored my question and pulled out a checkbook. "So you have this much deposited…" she pointed to a large number with her black pen.

"…"

"…"

"Mom."

"Yes?"

"That's the freakin' number 45,872."

"Why, yes it is."

"It's a number."

She nodded.

"A _huge_ number."

"It seems so."

_Mom, I will strangle you._

"Leave it be, then," I insisted.

"Just do what you can," she ended our conversation with. I stood up and headed to my room. Before stepping up the stairs I turned back to look at her.

"Mom?"

No reply from the addressed.

"I'm going back to training my Pokemon again… I'll be leaving soon," I said. A mumble from my mom was all that I heard. I turned back to stomp up the stairs. "I feel the love, Mom, I feel the love," I murmured sarcastically.

* * *

I pressed the button, flashbacks from the past coming to mind. I could hear the bell ring from even outside. The door opened a minute after I rang the bell.

"Oh!" The young woman greeted me with a surprised smile. "Why, if it isn't Lyra! I haven't heard from you in so long! Why don't you come inside? I've made cookies!"

"Thanks, Auntie. I'd love to chat and stuff, but, uh, I'm going to have to leave in a while. I just wanted to say goodbye…" I peeked into the humble abode as my last words quieted down. She sighed.

"Oh, Ethan? He's upstairs." She fake coughed. "As always…" She and I rolled eyes, a habit we shared. She opened a way for me to pass through.

"Thanks," I said as I scooted past her. I felt so at home I grabbed a cookie on my way past the kitchen and trotted up the stairs. The steps echoed throughout the house and welcomed me back.

When I immediately spotted Ethan I went up to him and patted his Marill.

"Ethan, I'll be leaving soon." I put a hand on his shoulder and smiled, urging him to look at me instead of his laptop. "Ethan…"

He turned to look at me, a tepid smile emerging on his face. It made me feel like I didn't know him.

"Lyra," he said. His voice sent shivers through my spine. _Weird, because didn't he just call me the same thing thirty minutes ago? _His voice was deeper than I last remembered.

"Y—yeah?" I replied. _Shit, I stuttered. _It was a tendency of mine I thought I had gotten rid of a year ago. _When I last saw Ethan._ I cleared my throat.

"Let's battle," he said, eyes meeting mine with resolve. I would've laughed if it weren't for that fact he had such a serious face on. I wasn't used to this Ethan, this atmosphere.

"Are you sure? You—"

"Marill." The blue Pokemon hopped to attention, guarding its master.

"—don't have any Pokemon…" I reached for my belt where I kept my Pokeballs attached. With a flick of my wrist, a bright light from my first Pokeball burst out. "Or maybe you do," I muttered. Ethan looked at me and my Bellossom with determination. I felt that the temperature spiked in the room. I took a breath, still feeling suffocated. "Ethan, I think it's best we do this out—"

"Tackle." The Marill attacked and my Bellossom intuitively dodged, recoil doing little damage to Marill as it hit the wall with a _thud._

"What are you doing?" I half-yelled. "We can't just fight in here!" Ethan ignored me.

"Tackle, Marill!" It did so. My Bellossom let out a small cry as the hit connected to its vital spot, creating a critical hit. Although it was of such a higher level compared to Ethan's Marill, my Bellossom didn't attack, waiting for my command instead. It stumbled, but didn't faint.

"Bellossom," Ethan looked unable to accept defeat as I said these words, "Magical Leaf on Marill." The glowing leaves arose from Bellossom, quickly fixing their target on Marill and as if they were alive they went straight to Marill's stomach. Marill had no chance. The next thing I knew I saw Ethan holding Marill in his arms, close to tears. I can't say I've ever recalled Ethan whining in front of me, yet alone crying. Moments passed before I regained control over my thoughts and actions, time spent uselessly standing in the middle of Ethan's room, staring at his injured Marill. I rushed to their sides.

"Oh my goodness, Marill! I'm so sorry, so sorry." I patted the creature softly. "Ethan, I—"

"Don't."

"What? I just—"

"You just what?" His eyes left his companion as he looked at me with pained eyes, almost glaring at me. "You just left for a year without saying a word to me? Not bothering to say a proper goodbye? Contacting me? Checking your email?" The words were filled with rage, sadness, and other complex feelings. My heart sunk.

"Ethan…"

"No, Lyra."

My breath caught at the mention of my name.

"I've been waiting. For so long. It may seem short, but I've lasted a year without you, any contact from you, any sign of you. I've even stopped going over to your house, because, what is there for me to go over for? You're not there. You were never there. What else would I go over for?"

_Ethan…_ I didn't bother saying his name out loud because it would make me choke, my eyes are blurring my vision with tears not yet fallen, and I know he would just stop me again.

"I know…that you've been going over occasionally to greet your mom, check your balance, maybe even sleep over for a day or two. How many times now?" His voice trembled. "How many times that you've had the chance to just say, 'Hi,' to me, but didn't? It makes me feel so…so _bad_."

"I didn't mean to. Ethan…" I tried.

He stood up, his Marill in his arms. He was ignoring me totally now, eyes averted for now and forever probably. He grabbed the doorknob of his bedroom door and opened it, stepping outside into the hallway. His head fell to look down at his Marill, breathing slight and raspy. He shook his head, his cap nearly falling off from his raven black hair.

"I just…" he sighed as he disappeared from my sight.

* * *

_Be-beep!_

The monitor greeted me as I logged in. For once I didn't click "BILL'S PC" and instead I hesitantly clicked "Lyra's PC". I accessed it instantly. I double-clicked "MAILBOX".

I was surprised.

All of my inbox, all twenty messages worth, were from Ethan. The first few were random. They had a couple of relevant words following the first and an actual sentence at the end. His name was always in the bottom right-hand corner.

"Ethan"

"Ethan"

"Ethan"

"Ethan"

"Ethan"

"Ethan"

"Ethan"

I exited my inbox. Then I changed my mind. From the fifth to last message his words got more into being sentences, and in the third to last I spotted my name a couple of times in the paragraphs he sent me. And finally, the last message.

It didn't matter to me. Most of the words seemed to be compiled from various poems. Was Ethan into poetry? The only thing that caught my eye was the last few sentences:

"…so I know you've probably forgotten about me and this inbox we made together. Do you remember that? You were so excited to finally get an email like me. To be like me, that's what you wanted, remember? But now it's all different. Lyra, I want to be like you. I want to have an adventure around regions with Marill and the Pokemon I catch on the way. I want to battle the many trainers I bet you have the chance to battle. I want to have your life. The way you live it, that is. But most of all…

I want you.

Ethan"

I nearly cried right then and there, in the middle of the Pokecenter. Instead, I rushed out with blurred vision. I pulled out the Pokeball I hoped was right. The bright light from it further obscured the objects forming in my eyes and mind.

"Togekiss…fly."

* * *

"Ethan? Oh, I," she sobbed, "I finally let him go."

"Huh?"

"He's been having this dream, Lyra. To travel around the world, you know?"

_I didn't._

"He just left yesterday, after you flew off. He seemed a bit angry for who knows what, but overall, this is what he's always wanted, Lyra. I just never gave it to him." She broke down in sobs and tear-filled pleas for her baby.

_Oh, this desperate housewife._

I sympathized with her, but…

"Auntie…" She looked up at me with glassy eyes. "You did good. He _has_ been wanting this, hasn't he?" She nodded attentively, looking more sober. "I'm sure he'll contact you later on. I'm sure of it."

* * *

"Ethan."

He turned to me, surprised.

"Lyra."

"It's…been a while, hasn't it?"

He looked down and grinned.

"It has."

"Ethan, I…" I hesitated. "I read your messages."

He stilled.

"Really now…"

"Um, yeah. I did and—"

"I just—"

"No, Ethan. _I _just wanted to say that after all of these months of not seeing you, have you visited your mother at all?" He looked at me, eyebrows raised and eyes stunned at the topic.

"Uh-huh…" he said slowly. "Why?"

"Well," I sighed, "why haven't you ever searched for _me_?"

"It was hard—"

"I'm all over the news. I'm practically famous. I've beaten the Kanto Pokemon League, you hear?"

"…Guess not," he replied.

"Liar."

"…"

"The news broadcast my every move. Don't you know?"

He stayed still, eyes looking up at the clouds instead of down at the ground where he usually looked.

"These few months," I continued, "were hard without you."

He looked at me again, eyes and mind unbelieving, I bet.

"Have you ever checked _your _mail ever since you left?"

He shook his head to indicate "no."

"I suggest you should." I felt like leaving the conversation right there, but I was impatient. "Since I just feel like I can't wait any longer though…" I approached him, face-to-face, only inches away from touching him.

"You just left me for half a year without saying anything, never contacted me, checked your email… _What were you doing?_ Because as far as I know I've been missing the hell out of you yet you have the nerve to act as if you didn't? Don't tell me this is one sided because if it is, I'm going to be pissed at a certain somebody."

" I don't know what you're talking about anymore, Lyra. Can you just…"

"No. Can _you_ just realize that I fell for it, I fell for your letters, I fell for you. Ethan," he reached out for me, "I just love you."

Oh my goodness gracious that turned out longer than I expected. I never actually proofread it so sorry for any corrections I need to do. Even if you tell me I'd be too lazy to correct if anyways. I know, I know. Cheesy! But I like my cheese this way. :P Haters, please hate. Thankyouverymuch. I'll try to get that update on the other story (this one's a one shot). This was actually supposed to be part of "Who Would Notice?" but it kinda went in Ethan's direction so halfway I was like, "Heff my first plans, I'm friggin gonna put this in separately!" So, yeah. :) Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time~


End file.
